Edward and The Scarlet Engine
by The Scarlet Engine
Summary: Edward recounts to Thomas the tale of his first love and how she came to Sodor, and how she tragically left him only a few short years later. Written in-between present tense and flashbacks. Edward/OC. K-plus for future intense scenes and implied fatal injury.
1. Chapter 1: The Beautiful Whistle

**Edward and The Scarlet Engine**

It was a sunny day on the Island of Sodor. The engines were out and about, bustling back and forth, trying their hardest to prove that they were really useful. Yes, everyone was out, working hard and enjoying the sunshine.

Well, _almost_ everyone.

Edward, the one of the older engines on the island, was resting in his shed at Tidmouth. Not by choice, of course! A few days prior, Edward had broken down when a heavy goods train had weakened him, and Victor had ordered him to really rest up until he was feeling back up to par.

Although the weather was nice and everything around him was cheery, Edward couldn't bring himself to be in a positive mood. His usual smiling face was stoic, his eyes focusing down on the rails before him. Every time he broke down, he became this way: depressed and unapproachable. The reasoning was, surprisingly, not due to the injury. No, no; to him, it was more than that.

Every time he was hurt, he thought of _her._

As he became lost in thought again, deep scarlet and gold flashing before him in his mind, he didn't notice Thomas backing into his shed. The little engine had finished his work early today, and had earned himself a rest in his shed.

"Hello, Edward!" he greeted with his usual cheeky smile. When Edward didn't look up for a few moments, Thomas grew puzzled. It wasn't like the blue engine not to return a greeting. Thomas decided to try and be a bit louder. "Edward? Hey, _Edward!_ " The little engine gave a loud _wheesh_ , hoping to finally grab his attention.

Edward's eyes blinked quickly as he was snapped back into reality, and he looked over. "Cinders and ashes, Thomas! You scared me!"

Thomas's cheeky grin softened to a sheepish one, and he chuckled softly. "Sorry, Edward. I was just a bit worried. It isn't like you to be spacey."

The mixed-traffic engine puffed out a sigh. "I'm sorry, Thomas," he apologized. "I was just lost in thought."

"About? Are you hurting? Should I fetch Victor-?"

"No, no," Edward soothed. "Believe me, I've taken worse." He chuckled, though it didn't sound light as it usually did. "It's just that..." His voice trailed away, and once again, he looked down at the rails.

"What is it, Edward?" Thomas asked softly. "You can tell me."

"Well... every time I break down, I think of an old friend of mine."

"An old friend? Who? Gordon? James?"

"No, no." Edward denied all of the smaller engine's inquiries. "She goes back farther than they do. She was here before Henry, Gordon, and James... here before you, too, as a matter of fact."

Thomas's eyes glistened with wonder. "So, she was on the island when _you_ were new?"

"Sort of. I had been here a few years when she came about, so I guess, yes, I was still new."

"Wow!" Thomas whistled. "So she goes way back with you!"

"Yes... she does." In the back of Edward's mind, he could hear the faint sounds of a beautiful, crystal clear whistle.

 _'Edward! I'll race you to the docks!'_

"So, where is she now? Did she go to work on another railway? Will she be back?"

Edward felt an ache deep in his tank the more and more Thomas questioned. He wasn't sure how to answer his question; no, rather, he didn't _want_ to answer it. In all of the years that had gone by, he still hadn't come to terms with what had happened.

"Not... exactly," Edward began. "She-," his voice cracked slightly, "she was in a bad accident, Thomas, and so they sent her away."

Thomas instantly quieted down. "...How bad...?"

 _'Doesn't the sunset look beautiful tonight, Edward?'_

"...She was probably scrapped."

There was a long silence. Thomas wasn't sure what to say. Neither did Edward, and the sweet whistle and voice that he had hear in his head slowly turned to shrieking peeps and crackling fire.

 _'Faster, Bella! You're almost out!'_

 _'Edward-!'_

 _'Bella, the tree!'_

Before the sad blue engine was lost in thought again, Thomas asked quietly. "...You said _she_ , right?"

Edward couldn't help but let at least one corner of his mouth curl upwards in a small smile. "Yes, she. You didn't see very many lady engines back in my day, so you could imagine how pleased I was."

Thomas smiled back. "Was she pretty?" He wanted his friend to remember all the good things.

"Beautiful. The most beautiful engine that has ever ridden these rails, in fact." Edward's eye got a dreamy look in them. "Scarlet red, the prettiest shade of red I've ever seen."

"Don't let James hear you say that, or he might get pouty!" Thomas teased. As Edward chuckled at his joke, Thomas finally asked, "...What was her name?"

Edward smiled sadly as the name left his mouth: "Arabella. But I called her Bella."

"Arabella..." Thomas echoed. "That _is_ a pretty name."

"Indeed it is... or, rather, was," Edward corrected sadly.

"You know, Edward..." the little tank engine began, "whenever I used to miss Brighton, the other engines always told me to remember the good things, and it made me feel better. Why don't you remember all the good things about Arabella?"

"Oh, there are so many," the blue engine replied. "I don't know where to begin!"

"Well... how about from the beginning?" Thomas grinned. "Tell me the story of how she came to the island!"

"It's a long on, Thomas."

"I've got time!"

With a soft sigh and a half-smile, Edward chuckled. "Alright, settle down. Well, I could never forget the day she first arrived..."

* * *

 _It was a cheery morning on Sodor, thanks to the shining sun and gentle breeze. Edward awoke with his usual smile, enjoying the extra rest he had been able to get due to an early night._

 _Shortly after he woke up, none other than Sir Topham Hatt himself drove up, walking up to the mixed-traffic engine._

 _"G-Good morning, sir!" Edward greeted quickly._

 _Sir Topham Hatt smile. "Good morning, Edward. I have a special task for you this morning."_

 _Edward was definitely awake now. A special, just for him! "Anything, sir!"_

 _"We are recieving a new engine this morning," Sir Topham Hatt told him. "I would like you to greet her at the docks, perhaps show her around and show her how we do things around here."_

 _'Her?' Edward thought to himself, but quickly gave a whistle. "Oh, yes sir! I'd be happy to, sir!" A new engine meant someone to share the work with, to talk to... to make_ friends _with!_

 _Happily, Edward chugged away._

 _When he reached Brendam Docks, a large ship was pulled up to port. The men were all bustling about, and Edward assumed (and hoped) that it was for the new engine._

 _Soon, Edward saw her. Her scarlet paint reflecting the sun, and glints flicked off of her well-maintained paintwork. Her eyes were wide as she looked all around; 'Perhaps she had a bad boat ride,' Edward thought to himself, and slowly chuffed forward to meet her._

 _As they got her on the rails, the engine didn't dare budge. At the sound of Edward of approaching, she looked up, startled._

 _The closer Edward got, the more he realized just how_ tiny _this engine was! She was probably half his size! He waited while the workmen checked her over and tried to listen to what they had to say._

 _"...LB &SCR A1x Class "Terrier" 0-6-0T tank locomotive from Wales. Just sign off here and she's good to go!"_

 _Realizing that they were done with her, Edward approached again. "...Hello," he finally greeted softly, and her eyes darted to look at him._

 _"Um... hello," she responded._

 _"My name is Edward," he told her with a smile. "Welcome to Sodor!"_

 _After a brief pause, the scarlet engine smiled back. "Thank you... Edward, was it? My name is Arabella."_

 _"Arabella..." he whooshed, feeling his smile grow. "Well, Arabella, we're glad to have you here! Follow me, I'll show you around the island!" And with a loud, excited whistle, Edward chuffed off._

 _Arabella followed suit, giving her own whistle a good blow. As Edward heard the sound from behind him, he shut his eyes and sighed._

 _It was the most beautiful sound in the world._


	2. Chapter 2: Hot Headed

As Edward's voice began to trail softly away, Thomas found himself in awe. Just from his brief description, he too wish he had known the little engine.

"That can't be all you have!" the little engine wheeshed excitedly. "What was she like when she first got to work, Edward?"

Edward couldn't help but chuckle at the younger engine's enthusiasm. He had to admit, the company was starting to help him feel much better.

"Well... she was clumsy, a little over-confident, but eager all the dsame." The blue engine smiled warmly. "In fact, Thomas, she was a lot like you on your first day..."

* * *

 _"Wo-oah!"_

 _Edward winced as he heard Arabella back up too hard into her trucks. She gave a soft 'oof' and wheeshed a bit of steam as a sigh._

 _Sighing a bit himself, Edward backed up to the line alongside her, giving her a reassuring smile. "Are you alright, Arabella?"_

 _"Oh, I'm nothing but a nuisance!" she hissed. "I've hardly gotten anything done today! I'm only getting in the way..."_

 _Edward was surprised by her sudden defeatist attitude. "Not at all! You're still trying to get adjusted, that's all. There's nothing wrong with that."_

 _The scarlet engine just averted her eyes, her cheeks flushed out of embarrassment._

 _Edward chuckled. "Really, Arabella, you're doing just fine!"_

 _"...Bella."_

 _After he processed what she said, Edward blinked. "Pardon?"_

 _"You've known me for a while now," she explained, "so please, just call me Bella." She finally met his gaze, sheepishly returning his smile._

 _"...Bella, huh?" he chuckled after a while. "I like that. I think it suits you."_

 _"I think so too!"_

* * *

"...After that, Arabella became pretty comfortable with the work around here and found her own routine." Edward finally looked at Thomas after all this time. "She didn't really need my help anymore."

"Surely you still saw her often, right?"

"Of course," the older engine assured him. "Every night, after the work was done, we would meet at Brendam Docks to watch the sunset. It became our 'catch up time' as we called it."

* * *

 _"There you are, old slow coach!"_

 _Edward, who puffed steadily into the docks, raised his weary eyes at the teasing whistle. Arabella was waiting for him, smiling as she so often did. It brought a small smile to Edward's own tired features._

 _When Arabella realized that Edward wasn't up to his usually cheerful self, her face fell slightly, and she slowly chugged forward to meet him in the middle. "Edward? What's wrong?"_

 _"Nothing, nothing!" he tried to reassure her quickly. "It was just a long day. My wheels ache and I'm worn out, that's all."_

 _"Would you rather go to sleep?"_

 _"And miss out on our only time?" The tired smile grew more genuine by the second. "Not a chance."_

 _Arabella's boiler bubbled and she grunted a soft agreement. "Well, there_ is _a shed here," she reminded him. We could always just stay the night here."_

 _"That sounds like a great idea."_

* * *

"...We would just talk the night away," Edward told Thomas softly. "About everything and anything. The day's work, new gossip... and eventually, about new arrivals."

"New arrivals?" asked Thomas curiously. "Well, who was the next to arrive?"

"Henry. And that not long after, Gordon and James."

Thomas looked thoughtful for a moment. "You said Arabella was small, smaller than you. I'm sure Gordon had to give her a hard time."

A certain instance quickly flew in to the old engine's funnel, and his cheeks flushed slightly. "Oh, he certainly did. But only _once_..."

* * *

 _The large engine rolled into the yard, his face exerting nothing less than an aura of pride and dignity. Sir Topham Hatt grabbed his jacket and stood comfortably, pleased to see his newest addition looking so splendid._

" _Welcome to Sodor – ah, I beg pardon, but what do they call you?"_

" _Gordon," the engine's voice boomed. "The pleasure is mine, sir."_

" _Well, Gordon," the stout man went on, "I'm sure it will not take an engine or your stature long at all the get used to the work around here. But to show you around, I have one of my older engines here to show you around." Sir Topham Hatt stepped aside and gestured as the much smaller engine pulled smoothly to a halt._

" _Hello!" she greeted warmly. "I'm Arabella, it's nice to meet you!"_

 _Gordon kept his smile, given that he was still in the presence of his "boss," but he raised an eyebrow and eyed the locomotive in front of him carefully. "…Pleasure."_

" _Well, I'll leave you two to get on with it." And with that, the Fat Controller was on his merry way._

" _Shall we get going?" To Arabella, another new engine meant another new friend, and this made her boiler bubble._

" _I don't think that will be necessary," Gordon replied sharply, his smile returning to his brooding resting face. "I don't think you could keep up."_

 _Arabella blinked. "I beg your pardon?"_

" _Oh, don't be so surprised, little one. I wouldn't want to make the host work so hard that she might make her wheels wobble and axels ache!"_

 _Around this time, Edward had pulled into the yard to fill some coal trucks underneath the hopper. He caught a hint of red in the corner of his eye and smiled, turning his gaze to his longest friend._

 _However, her irritated features quickly erased his own bright ones. He raised a slender brow, straining to hear what was happening._

" _Are you implying that I am not_ capable _, Gordon?"_

" _I said nothing of the sorts, but… if the dome fits."_

 _Edward winced as a harsh whistle sounded from the female engine._

" _Oh really!" The small Terrier class pumped her pistons and backed up, switching onto Gordon's line. The large engine looked puzzled._

" _What do you think you're doing?"_

" _Oh no," Edward breathed, quickly chuffing his way over, completely forgetting about his cars._

" _I'll show you capable!" Arabella spat. Just as she was about to charge forward towards the big blue engine, she felt herself become completely still. She urged herself again forward, but to no avail. She wheeshed in frustration and blew her whistle. "What the-?"_

 _Edward calmly blew his whistle. "Bella, calm down, please. There's no need to get so riled up."_

 _Arabella flushed as she realized Edward was coupled up to her and had stopped her from bashing this engine's buffers. "Bother, Edward…" she muttered, feeling rather foolish._

 _Gordon took in the sight and guffawed at the two of them, causing Arabella's cheeks to turn nearly as dark ad her paint work. "How… endearing," he finally observed. "A dirty shunting and a prissy little one! What a precious pair!"_

 _Before either of the ridiculed engines could respond, Gordon went on his way to give himself a tour._

 _Edward waiting as he was uncoupled from Arabella before backing up. She was no longer cross it seemed; just embarrassed._

" _Oh, I let my temper go again…" she said quietly to herself, wheeshing some steam, hoping it would hide her from her mixed-traffic companion._

" _Oh, Bella, it's alright. I would've rammed him myself had I been in your shoes." But this time, Edward's words didn't perk her up. He was confused; it usually didn't take much time for her to recover. This time, however, she stayed quiet._

 _As Edward opened his mouth to ask if something else was bothering her, a hand reached out from Arabella's cab, and her driver patted her side. "Come one, hot head," he said soothingly, "we have plenty of work to do."_

 _With a sad whistled, Arabella chuffed away, leaving Edward in a just as down mood._

 **Hi everyone! First off, I just wanted to apologize for the delay on getting this chapter out. This is my last week at home, as I leave for college this weekend, so it's been pretty busy around here. Secondly, I wanted to thank those of you who have favorited this story. It's my first Thomas work and I know it can be choppy at times, but it means a lot!**

 **Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3: Luther

"Bella wouldn't talk to me for three days," Edward admitted softly. "I thought I had made her mad. I would try to apologize for stepping in, but she would just avoid eye contact and chuff away."

Thomas blinked, finding the situation confusing himself, and realized that this was how Edward must have felt too. "Did she ever explain?"

"Yes, she did. And when she finally did, I understood just why she had gotten so upset…"

 _Arabella puffed slowly into her shed that night, staring down at the rails before her. She wheeshed some steam before just shutting her eyes. Her driver and fireman left the cab, and though her fireman left, her driver came around to face her._

" _Bella."_

 _She didn't respond._

" _Arabella, look at me."_

 _At her full name, the young steam engine dared to eye her operator._

" _Nothing happened, right? No harm, no foul. Just let it go."_

" _But what if next time there_ is _harm!" she hissed in exasperation. "I can't act up again, Louis! If I do, I'm sure to… To…" her voice trailed away._

" _Bella, old girl, what happened back then… You had every right, you hear me?" Louis' jaw clenched. "The fact that they held that against you… Well, it's down-right shite if you ask me. But it's over and done with now. It's time you looked past it."_

"… _Alright," she murmured. "Alright, Louis, I'll try."_

 _Her driver managed to crack a small smile. "That's my girl. Goodnight." With that, the gentle driver left, his engine alone in the shed._

 _Half an hour later, just as Arabella was drifting off into sleep, a soft whistle stirred her senses back to being alert. "Bother…" she growled, parting her eyelids to see just who had roused her from her sleep._

 _A familiar blue shape was backing into the shed, and Arabella recognized Edward. She quickly rallied her senses and woke herself up; she knew he would try and question her again, and she wanted to be ready._

 _But to her surprise, Edward said not a word about anything. He just softly smiled at her and whispered, "Sorry to have woken you." After bidding his own crew goodnight, he too shut his eyes, and uttered not another sound._

 _Slightly taken aback by his different attitude, Arabella blinked. Where was the gentle prying? Where was the unnecessary apology?_

 _There were a few moments of silence, and it was in these moments that the scarlet engine realized just how awful she had been to her friend._

"… _Edward?"_

" _Hm?" the blue engine hummed in response, not opening his eyes._

"… _I'm sorry. For avoiding you."_

 _After a few cricket chirps, Edward's eyes opened as he softly sighed. "No need to apologize, Bella. I'm sure you have your reasons. I'm sorry I tried to force my way in."_

" _No, no!" Now she felt bad. "It's just… I…" Arabella bit her lip before rallying again. "…Before I came here, Edward, I was involved with an… incident. And it cost me and my crew our jobs, and almost called for my…" she couldn't finish the sentence, but her panicked expression told Edward everything he needed to know._

"… _Why are you here, Arabella? What happened to you?"_

"… _I was the smallest engine on my railway back home," she began. "Ours was still in construction, you see: no branch lines quite yet. I was helping to build them." A small smile graced her lips. "Oh, it felt so nice, knowing that I was a part of such a special project!" Memories swarmed in Arabella's smokebox. "I loved my job, but… my job didn't always love me. See, I'm not exactly built for pulling heavy loads. I'm sorry to say I'm not much of a goods train at all. So, occasionally, if a load was far too hard for me and I strained myself, one of the bigger engines would have to come and do my work._

" _There was one engine, Luther, who, when he had to come take my loads, would relentlessly tear me down for not being able to complete my task. 'Pathetic excuse for an engine!' he would say. 'They should scrap you down and use you for sheet metal! This is no place for a small engine!' he would say." Arabella grew quiet. "…Do you know how awful it was to hear things like that, Edward? It was like… there was something wrong with me, something that was so far beyond my control, but I still yearned to fix it and change who I was._

" _I grew more and more angry. I strained myself beyond compare, so that I would end up spending days in the works. I wanted to prove to Luther that I could do any job he could do, and maybe even better."_

" _You had nothing to prove," Edward said quietly, almost to himself. "You're fantastic just the way you are…"_

 _Arabella didn't verbally acknowledge his comment, but it warmed her chilling frame. "There was one day in the winter months; the snow had just been cleared, but the tracks were still slick and slushy. Luther and I were working in the same yard, and I saw it as my opportunity to show just how powerful and hard-working I could be._

" _Some cars needed to be taken to one of the construction sites. They were going to ask Luther to take them, but I begged and pleaded to take that train. They agreed, upon one condition: that Luther was my backing engine. I figured he'd still have to take orders from me, so I lept to the opportunity._

" _The main line went a long a hill. The track was at the peak of this long hill, but on either side of the track was a steady decline into the valley. It was around this time that Luther started his commentary again._

"' _I can't believe I'm_ your _backing engine!' he hissed. 'It's just disgraceful! I'd rather be scrap iron!'_

" _Having had enough with his words, I had retorted, 'That can be arranged!'_

" _We continued on, and so did his hateful spew. There was no reasoning with Luther. I felt… rage. Deep in my boiler, Edward. I wanted him to learn his lesson."_

"… _So what did you do?" Edward urged on."_

" _I proved that I could pull the load myself." Arabella got quiet for a few moments. "…I pumped my pistons as hard as I could, and I could feel the weight behind me._ I _was doing the work, and I knew it. And when I heard Luther's voice trail away, I knew that he knew it, too._

"… _The main line made a sharp turn towards the end of the hill. I was pulling as hard and as fast as I could, and oh, it felt_ great _! I heard Luther behind me, but I tuned out his words. After all, I had this covered, right?_

"… _He was shouting, 'Slow down!'_

" _I hit the turn too fast with the tracks being too slick. The next thing I knew, the cars behind me were tugging me back, and there were awful thudding sounds and the shouts of a terrified engine."_

 _Edward's eyes were wide. "…He derailed, didn't he?" he asked softly._

 _Arabella couldn't bring herself to speak for a few moments. "…Yes. When they recovered him, they realized it would be too expensive for our railway to have him fixed. …He was scrapped a few days later."_

 _Edward didn't know what to say._

" _I was put in a shed and locked away for two weeks until they decided what to do with me. I was 'hostile,' they said, that I couldn't 'handle pressure.' My driver and fireman tried to explain what had happened, that Luther had pushed me to my limits, but they wouldn't have any of it._

" _Louis, my driver, came in a few days later and told me my verdict: my career on the railway was finished, and so was theirs. I wept for quite some time… How could I have been so selfish, to ruin the lives of not only an engine, but his crew and my own?"_

 _Edward's eyes widened as he studied the engine next to him; her eyes were full of tears, and a few streaked her cheeks. "Oh, Bella, don't cry…" he murmured. "It's alright…"_

" _Louis wasn't going to let me get scrapped. He did everything in his power to find us a new railway in time… and he did."_

" _Here," Edward concluded."_

" _Yes… here, on Sir Topham Hatt's railway. And I'm so glad that I was given another chance. But Sir Topham Hatt isn't naïve to my story, Edward. He warned me, the first time I slip up…"_

" _But it wasn't even your fault!" Edward couldn't help but feel frustration fizzle in his firebox. "It was just a horrible accident. You didn't mean for-."_

" _But no one will listen!" Arabella was exasperated. "So… I just have to stay on my best behavior and hope to gain back the trust I lost."_

 _Edward finally let out a soft sigh. "…You're right. I don't like it, but you're right."_

 _There was a long silence._

"… _Arabella, I don't think any less of you."_

 _Startled, the scarlet engine looked at her companion with wide eyes._

"I _understand that it was an accident, and accidents happen. And I'm willing to help you in any way I can." His cheeks flushed. "I… I care about you, and I don't want to see you go."_

 _Arabella teared up again, but the corners of her mouth twitched in a faltering smile. "Edward… You're the first person to say that… Oh, thank you…"_

" _Anything for you, Bella… Anything for you."_

 _The two engines sat in a comfortable silence, having the air cleared between them. And though neither engine spoke, they both thought the same thing:_

 _A new feeling was brewing between them that night._


	4. Chapter 4: Scarlet, Orange, and Yellow

Thomas had to return to work after that portion of the story, and so Edward took the younger engine's absence to rest his own weary eyes and quiet his racing thoughts.

Later that night, though, as all the engines returned to Tidmouth after a long day's work, Thomas piped up, "Edward! Finish your story!"

The other engines looked confused, and before Edward could comment, Thomas added,

"He was telling me about the scarlet engine, Arabella!"

James, Gordon, and Henry looked astounded at Thomas's statement, as if they were taken aback that he had even dared to utter the female engine's name.

Thomas caught on to this and blinked, confused, "Did I miss something?"

Gordon looked over at his elder blue companion, who could've retreated into his shed right then and there. "…How far in your story did you get, Edward?"

"…I had just told him about Luther," Edward murmured. "He doesn't know yet."

"Know what?" Thomas asked, growing even more puzzled by the second.

"Who's the scarlet engine?" Percy blurted out, feeling rather excluded from the conversation.

For once, James spoke slowly and carefully. "…Why don't you continue on where you left off, Edward?" James urged. "We can help tell it, too."

Edward sighed. He had hoped he had been finished with the whole mess, but it looked as his luck was not in his favor.

"Alright," he began with an exasperated tone. "You see, after Arabella opened up and told me her testimony, things… things were better. She seemed happier, more relaxed; at least around me, anyway."

"She was still a boiler full of hot air around me," Gordon retorted, but there was a tone of amusement in his voice, and not an ounce of sarcasm.

"Time went by, and word of more engines arriving on the island came to us," Edward carried on. "This was before James joined us." The blue engine's cheeks flushed, and James grinned cheekily.

"Aww, I remember hearing about this later on," the red engine teased, cackling at his own torment.

"What happened?" Thomas urged, obviously growing impatient.

"I remember it all exactly…"

* * *

 _Edward pulled into the docks, eager for he and Arabella's normal catch up time. To his surprise, however, she was not on the usual line by the water; Edward looked around, and discovered her already in the shed. Blinking, he slowly chuffed forward to meet her._

" _Bella?" he called quietly, and the scarlet engine looked his way with a small smile._

" _There you are, Eddie. Glad you made it."_

 _The mixed-traffic engine couldn't help but smile at her pet name for him. "What are you doing in the shed?" he asked. "You're usually out looking at the water."_

" _My mind is just a bit weary tonight," she confessed. "It's been a long day of work, and I've just… been thinking."_

" _About what?"_

" _Well… Have you heard that there's a new engine coming to the island?"_

" _I have! It's great!" Edward smiled. "The railway will definitely start to come along faster with the more engines we have. And it's always nice to get some fresh faces."_

 _But Arabella's smile wasn't as warm and genuine as Edward's. It was smaller and sadder. "Yes… But with more faces comes more places to work on, and some of those places could be a lot farther out during the day."_

 _Edward blinked, confused. "…What are you getting at?"_

"… _I'm afraid that once more engines arrive, I won't be able to work alongside you as much." Her smile faltered completely and her facial features grew nervous as her eyes studied the rails. "I… I like being able to have you to myself, I'm afraid. I'm selfish in that way."_

 _The blue engine's cheeks flushed a bright pink. "Well, I – er – I like working with you too, Bella. I –,"_

 _The small engine began puffing closer, and Edward felt his boiler bubble. "Our time here at the docks? I look forward to it every day," she continued softly. "I love hearing about your day, about your work. I love hearing your laugh, hearing you call my name as you roll in."_

 _Arabella slowly came to a stop, their buffers bumping softly. "You were one of the few to actually care about me… and I've grown to care about you."_

 _Edward didn't know what to say. His whole frame felt warm, as though he could wheesh loudly and let his whistle ring out right there. Her eyes finally blinked up to look at him, and without thinking, he blurted:_

" _I love you."_

 _The dock was silent. Edward had no idea where the words had come from; it was true, that he had always had a special place for Arabella, but to hear her speak so softly to him, to share the secrets they did, to be so_ close _to her…_

 _He knew that the words were genuine._

 _The scarlet Terrier engine smiled softly and couldn't help but laugh a bit. "…I love you too, Edward."_

* * *

"…We stayed there, together, the rest of the night, and every night thereafter," Edward trailed away.

Thomas's eyes widened and he smiled wide. "Edward, that's so nice! You old dog, you!"

But despite the happy memory he had just told, Edward's facial expression showed nothing but remorseful recollection. Thomas let his own smile fade as he noticed this. "Edward? What's wrong? That's a happy memory, is it not?"

Seeing that he was unable to bring himself to words, Gordon stepped in. "A few days later, little Thomas, there was a fire on the island, out near Elsbridge. It was a hot, hot summer, and the fields and forests were dry after a near month-long drought."

"Arabella was working out there," James went on. "Helping build the line farther out."

Suddenly, everything was coming together. Thomas remembered Edward bring up an accident, and the little tank engine dared to ask, "…Was this where she had her accident?"

"Yes," came Edward's solemn voice. "Yes, it was… And it was the last time I ever saw her…"

* * *

 _The summer was scorching on the Island of Sodor. It had not rained an inch, but occasionally, the sky would darken, as if to tease at a brewing storm._

 _Edward was working alone in the yard; Arabella had been sent out to help finish up one of the new branch lines and wouldn't be back until later. He smiled to himself; 'It's okay,' he thought, 'We'll have our time later._

 _As he worked, he couldn't help but notice how dead the island looked. The once lush fields were now dry and bleached yellow. The trees were a yellow-green, the leaves crunching like those that fell in autumn, though the first day of fall was months away. Edward couldn't help but feel a bit concerned. He had heard stories of areas that underwent so much heat, that fires would spark and ravage the surrounding land. But surely that was a worst case scenario, right?_

 _The mixed-traffic engine went about his business, the scorching sun beating on his metal frame. A drink didn't sound too bad at the moment, or the shade of his shed. Ah, yes, in his shed, Arabella next him, talking the day away…_

 _His daydreaming was broken by a rapid ringing bell. Startled, Edward looked up to the signal box to see the signal master ringing the emergency bell._

" _Wildfire!" he called. "Wildfire, on the Elsbridge line!"_

 _Before Edward could even process what he was saying, James raced by, water tanks clanking behind him._

" _Watch out!" the red engine hissed._

' _Wildfire? On the Elsbridge line? Oh, no…'_

 _The blue engine's eyes shot wide, and he could only utter one word:_

" _Bella._

" _Driver!" Edward wheeshed. "Driver, we have to go help!"_

" _Edward, old boy, you've gone mad!" he hissed. "They'll handle the fire. We need to stay here where it's safe!"_

" _B-but Arabella! She was working-!"_

" _And I'm_ sure _she'll come back safely," he tried to reassure, but he could practically feel his engine's anxiety, and after a few moments, he heaved a great sigh. "…We'll go to the edge of the line. If we don't see here there, then we turn back."_

" _Oh, thank you!" And without another minute of hesitation, he thundered away._

 _Edward had sure he had never rode the rails as fast as he did right then. All he needed to see was a glint of scarlet in the sunlight, hear the crystal whistle of his beloved, and he would be assured and alright. But until then, nothing was about to slow him down._

 _It wasn't too long before a choking smell filled the air, Edward slowed down, coughing. He noticed that he had to squint; the air around him was suddenly a black haze. When he finally grew used to it, his eyes widened at what they took in._

 _Before him was lots of scarlet… and orange, and yellow, and grey and black. Loud crackling and pops resounded all around him, and the feisty flames dared to crawl closer. There were no trees, no flora anymore: nothing but charred silhouettes being strangled by nooses of thick black smoke._

" _We have to go in!" Edward choked out, startled by his own quick jump to bravery._

 _His driver coughed. "Are you mental? We won't come out!"_

" _They might need help!" the engine hissed back. "We can't just leave them alone!"_

" _Them? Or Arabella?"_

" _Please!"_

 _Once again, one over by his guilt, the driver allowed his locomotive to proceed forward. A few feet ahead, he saw the silhouette of James, and the tiny figures of the men attempting (and surely giving up) to put out the fire. His eyes scanned the scene, but the familiar shape he was looking for was nowhere to be seen. James was waiting for men to board him somehow before he slowly backed up on the line beside Edward._

" _Edward? What on earth are you doing here!" he cried. "The fire is out of control! You need to get out of here, now!"_

" _Where's Arabella!?"_

" _Here! Here!"_

 _The whistle. Oh, the whistle._

 _Relief flooded Edward as his soot-tarnished love emerged on the same line he was on, sputtering. "Y-You fool!" she scolded. "Coming out here!"_

" _I had to make sure you were alright!"_

" _Can you save the couple banter for later?" interrupted the red engine across from them. "We need to go!" And without another word, James sped away._

 _Before Arabella or Edward could comment, a loud snap echoed and Arabella shrieked as, what was once a large tree, full across the rails behind her._

" _Let's go!" Edward urged, pulling out of the area as fast as he could in reverse. Arabella followed after him, the two having a clear view of each other's panicked expressions as they went along._

 _Edward watched as Arabella's eyes darted to and fro; he was going faster in reverse than she was going forward. It scared him doing so; tender engines weren't meant for this kind of movement, but in this situation, he had no other option. He just wished Bella would focus more on the rails ahead instead of the damage around them._

 _The fire still surrounded them on both sides, and Edward knew that it had spread since he had last arrived. From his love's face, it seemed as though there was telling when it ended, either._

" _Bella!" Edward called after a while, starting to feel the anxiety of getting out of the monstrosity. "Bella, look at me!"_

 _The little Terrier's eyes darted forward._

 _The mixed-traffic engine mustered his best smile, the kind of smile he gave her when he taught her to shunt, when he showed her the docks for the first time. The smile he used when he teased her for being clumsy, or when he said "I love you" and meant it every time._

" _Just look at me, alright? Don't worry about the fire! Just focus on getting out of here, okay?"_

" _O-Okay!" she managed, locking eyes with the engine in front of her._

 _Not much longer, her facial expression brightened. "Edward! I-I can see it! The smoke lifting!"_

 _Edward's smile slowly became more genuine. "That's it! See, we've done-."_

 _There was a loud crack._

 _Her eyes widened at the same time his did._

 _Alas, if only she had been ahead of him._

" _Bella, the tree!"_

 _A large, scalding oak fell across the tracks, right between the two. He heard her hit it. But what's a train to a tree, anyway?_

 _He never saw what happened, because moments later, he was in clear, fresh air, and the fire was just a wall of black fifty feet in front of him._

 _Edward didn't speak. He didn't move._

 _His driver urged him, "Edward, we'll be back to Knapford soon! Let's go!"_

" _Arabella…"_

" _Edward, we mustn't stop now!"  
_

" _Bella!" The events had just sunk in. Frantic, he blew his whistle harsh and loud, waiting for a response. When he didn't receive one, he blew it again._

 _Nothing._

" _I'm not leaving her in there! I-!"_

" _You aren't the only one here! Think of your crew!"_

 _Beat. He was right. How could he have been so selfish?_

 _The blue engine studied the cloud of smoke and took in the crackles and pops of burning wood. Clamping his eyes shut, he slowly began backing up once more, unable to look ahead._

 _The only thing in front of him was a shroud of guilt._

 _And it was too much of a bright red._

* * *

Thomas didn't know what to say. He looked at Edward, his usual cheerful disposition withered to a blank canvas.

"Edward, I… I don't…"

"They found her popped off the rails, under rubble and soot. Sir Topham Hatt deemed getting the parts to fix her too expensive, and sent her back to Wales to be mended there. But the wealth wasn't any better there… She had told me that herself."

"So then…?" Thomas gulped.

"We can only assume," Gordon bellowed, the tiniest hint of remorse in his voice.

"The third night after it happened was when they put her on the boat to send her away. I didn't dare go to the docks," Edward choked out. "But as I sat here, trying to sleep… I could've sworn I heard something in the distance."

"What was it?"

"The most beautiful sound in the world."

Edward need say nothing more. Thomas knew exactly what he meant.

As the blue engine backed slowly into his shed, he concluded his story:

"That's my story, Thomas. If you take anything from it, take this: love is fleeting. Love is kind. But…"

"But?"

"If you play with fire, be prepared to get burned in the end."

 **BOOOOM WHAT A FUCKING ENDING. Don't worry, there will be one more installment! Just a small little epilogue. :) Thank you guys for following this story and the support!**

 **~ Mikki**


	5. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

A week after Edward had shared his testimony with Thomas, he awoke in his shed, felling a bit lighter than usually. Today, he was allowed to return to work, and he hoped that it would keep him busy enough to take his mind off of his latest recounts.

As he went to emerge from his shed, he was surprised to see Sir Topham Hatt waiting for him. He quickly blinked the sleep from his eyes, trying to see as alert as possible.

"G-Good morning sir!" he stammered. "I wasn't expecting to see you here so early."

"That's quite alright, Edward," said Sir Topham Hatt wit muse in his voice. "I have a special job for you today."

"Yes, sir?"

"There's an important delivery coming in to the docks," the stout man told his engine, "And I need it picked up as soon as possible."

"What is it, sir?" the blue engine questioned. Was it just him, or did Sir Topham Hatt seem a bit… odd?

But the Fat Controller only smile. "You'll see it when you get there. Off you go!"

Confused, but not about to say no to his boss, Edward moved along.

* * *

When he arrived at the docks, there was no ship to be seen, and Edward assumed he would have to wait. He gave a subtle groan; he wasn't in the mood to do more sitting about.

The yard manager approached him. "The delivery shall be coming shortly," he told him. "It arrived just a bit ago."

Edward blinked, now even more confused than before. "But… if it's already here, then-?"

The sound of a whistle cut him off.

The mixed-traffic engine felt as though his fire could've gone out in one blow right then and there. The whistle was such a familiar pitch, its tone high and crystal clear in the morning air.

 _But there was no way._

Edward was sure he was still stuck in his daydreams, his memories, and he hoped that the delivery would get here soon so he didn't have to worry about having time to do so anymore. He looked ahead through the morning fog, and could've sworn that he saw a familiar color…

 _The most beautiful shade of red he'd ever seen._

The whistle came again, and as the red figure approached closer, he made out a small engine with a long funnel, six wheels, and a beautiful smiling face.

Before the figure cleared in the fog, he dared to call out, "…Bella…?"

And as she emerged from the mist, she smiled softly, and replied, "Hello, Eddie."

Edward didn't know how to react. She was alive. His one and only, whom he had thought scrapped for all these years, was suddenly before him, brighter and newer than the day he had met her.

Without wasting another moment, Edward lurched forward, bumping his buffers to hers. She laughed at his eagerness, though her laughter sounded a bit strained, like she was holding back tears.

But Edward was tired of holding back. He wept; oh, did he weep. Not of sadness, but of relief and pure joy.

"Oh, Eddie, there's no need for that," she soothed, though a few tears stained her own cheeks. "I'm home…"

"I… I thought I had lost you…" he whimpered. "I was sure that they wouldn't have been able to mend you… Oh, and I left you there! I'm so sorry, I-."

"Hush." Her voice was soft, nurturing, " I would never have asked you to put yourself in danger like that for me. It was no one's fault."

Hearing that put the old engine at peace. "Oh, Arabella… I missed you so much."

"And I missed you, my love."

"Did you find the delivery alright, Edward?"

The blue engine was interrupted by the booming voice of Sir Topham Hatt, who was watching the scene with soft features.

"Sir! How did you-?"

"I never knew you and Arabella shared such a bond." He gripped his coat. "When we sent her back to Wales for mending, I assumed that they may need an engine more like her there for a while. I had every intention of bringing her back someday. If I had known, I would've had her brought back to us much sooner."

"But," Edward inquired quietly, "How did you know?"

A soft _'peep'_ whistled in the air, and a small blue tank engine rolled up on the other line.

The old engine was lost for words. "Thomas? You…?"

"After you told me that story, I couldn't help but ask Sir Topham Hatt what had really happened to Arabella." Thomas grew sheepish. "I'm sorry, but to see the way it haunted you… I didn't like it. And when he told me that she was still alright, I-!"

"Thomas, you cheeky blue dog!" Edward grinned. "You're incredible!"

The small tank engine grinned back, overjoyed to see his friend back to his normal self.

As Arabella and Edward stayed there, eyes focused on each other and mouths curved in the widest of grins, the old blue engine felt happier than he had ever felt.

In fact, he was so excited, that he could've seen red.

A scarlet red.


End file.
